Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1795: Meeting his other friend’s family: Part-2

“Mom, you’re back!”

Lily’s cheerful voice rang through the house as she skipped toward the grocery bags her mother had just carried inside, her eyes sparkling with excitement at whatever snacks might be hiding within.

“Who put the salt at the entrance? Huh? Tell me who did! Do you think money grows on trees?”

The moment Lily’s mother stepped through the elevator, her expression froze. Her eyes widened before quickly narrowing as she stared at the thick layer of salt scattered all across the entrance to their house.

It looked as though someone had emptied an entire bottle onto the ground without the slightest hesitation.

Lily wasted no time. A mischievous smirk spread across her face as she pointed directly at her father.

“Dad did it, Mom. He said his friend is some kind of ghost, so he threw the entire bottle and wasted everything.”

“Oh? Ohhhhhh…”

Her voice became strangely calm, which somehow felt even more terrifying. A deadly glare slowly drifted toward her husband, who immediately stiffened before forcing an awkward smile.

“I… I really thought he was a ghost. I mean… I told you about him, right? Aether. That Mother-con bastard?”

“…” Young Aether’s lips twitched. ‘Bitch, what the fuck is Mother-con?!’ he screamed inwardly.

Hearing that nickname, the anger on her face briefly paused. Her eyebrows rose as she looked toward the young man who still hadn’t turned around or spoken a single word since she arrived.

“Mr. Aether?”

Several seconds passed.

Young Aether remained perfectly still, making everyone exchange puzzled glances. Just as she was about to walk over and check on him…

“Hello, my Best Friend’s Wife… MY SISTER!!”

He suddenly spun around with dramatic flair, emphasising the last word so loudly that she instinctively took a small step backwards.

Not because he was handsome.

Rather…

His entire face was hidden behind a sleek black visor that absolutely had not been there a moment ago.

Allen blinked.

Lily blinked.

Even Emily blinked.

Young Aether straightened his posture before giving Emily an exaggeratedly respectful bow.

“I humbly ask this sister of mine to forgive him for his mistake. Though it was not intended… it was pun-intended, Sister! Haha…”

“…”

Silence.

Complete… Utter… Confused silence!

Then…

[+100 AP]

“PFFFFT!!”

“Hahahaha!!”

“This guy is so funny, Mom… ahahaha!”

The living room instantly erupted into laughter.

Even the youngest child laughed along despite having absolutely no idea what the joke meant. Everyone else was laughing, so naturally he joined in with complete confidence.

Young Aether smiled on the outside while quietly dying from embarrassment on the inside.

Still…

This was the role he had chosen.

If he was going to commit to this act, then he would commit all the way until the end.

Emily covered her mouth as she laughed before waving her hand.

“Haha… You’re exactly like Allen described.”

Young Aether’s expression immediately changed.

“Oh please, don’t believe anything he told you, Sister.”

His horrified voice made Allen quietly whistle and look elsewhere.

Who knew what kind of nonsense this shameless friend had been spreading about him?

He already mentioned Mother-Con!

What could be more?

Emily chuckled warmly.

“Don’t worry. It’s all good.”

“Then you absolutely believed every word,” Young Aether replied without the slightest hint of shame.

[+100 AP]

Her smile only grew wider.

She found herself unexpectedly taking a liking to this strange young man.

‘Wait… no. He’s not a boy. He’s the same age as my husband… but why does he look so young? And… wasn’t he supposed to be dead? Just what in the world happened?’

Question after question piled up inside her mind, each one stranger than the last.

Allen simply shook his head with a helpless smile.

‘He really hasn’t changed…’

Walking over, he gently stood beside his wife before wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“This is Emily, my beloved wife. She has stayed beside me ever since the world lost its brightness. Without her… I think I would have lost mine as well.”

He leaned over and softly kissed her forehead.

Emily’s cheeks immediately turned pink.

She lightly elbowed him, shooting him an embarrassed glare for saying something so affectionate in front of everyone.

Then she looked back at Young Aether, smiled politely, and gave a small bow.

“Hello, Mr. Aether. I am happy to finally meet you. Your friend talks about you all the time. Every time something happens, he says, ‘If Aether were here, he would’ve solved this already.’ Honestly… I think I’ve heard your name more than some of our relatives.”

She let out a quiet, exhausted sigh before shaking her head with a helpless smile.

Young Aether smiled gently as he looked at the couple standing before him. Seeing Allen genuinely happy with the woman beside him brought a small sense of relief to his heart.

Allen found someone—

“Wait… just one?”

His confused question immediately made both Allen and Emily look at him with puzzled expressions, neither of them understanding what he was trying to ask.

“I mean… where are the others?”

“The others?” Allen repeated with a frown. “What others?”

“Your harem, bro?!”

“…”

The room instantly fell silent.

Emily slowly turned her head toward her husband with a gentle smile resting on her lips. Unfortunately for Allen, the warmth never reached her eyes, and the calmness in her expression felt far more terrifying than if she had simply gotten angry.

Allen nearly jumped in panic. He frantically waved both hands while hugging Emily’s shoulder at the same time, somehow managing to look guilty despite insisting he was innocent.

“W-What are you talking about? A harem? I’m not that kind of guy! I-I am loyal to my wife! I love only her! Only complete assholes would taint love in the name of a harem.

That’s disgusting!”

His face remained completely serious as if he had just condemned one of the greatest sins imaginable. He even tightened his embrace around Emily as though desperately trying to prove his loyalty before the court of public opinion.

Watching the entire performance, Young Aether quietly felt something invisible stab straight into his heart.

Out of the three friends, Allen had been the only one who openly enjoyed watching harem anime and joking about wanting one someday.

Yet reality… Allen had devoted himself entirely to one woman, Jonathan had somehow ended up with two, and Young Aether… let’s not count it!

What kind of ridiculous plot twist was this?

Young Aether stared blankly at his shameless friend before letting out a defeated sigh.

“Sorry, Sister. I honestly didn’t mean anything by it. Back then, this guy used to binge every harem series he could find and constantly talked about having a hundred women in his life, especially with big-breasted ones. Since Jonathan somehow ended up with two women already, I naturally assumed this bastard had fulfilled his dream too. I really wasn’t trying to cause any misunderstanding.”

This was not something one should speak while children were still there… talk about responsibility!

Unfortunately, every additional sentence only made the situation worse.

Everything Young Aether said was completely truthful, but that honesty was precisely the problem. Emily’s smile remained perfectly polite while her expression gradually became colder with every confession that escaped his mouth.

Allen’s entire body stiffened.

His face practically screamed, ‘Stop talking, you idiot! You’re making this worse! Look at her! I’m definitely sleeping on the couch tonight!’

Unable to listen any longer, Allen rushed over, grabbed Young Aether by the shoulder, and leaned close enough to whisper through tightly clenched teeth.

“Bastard. You just got here, and you’re already trying to destroy my marriage? You homewrecker!”

Young Aether blinked several times before finally realising that he had accidentally revealed far more than he should have. An awkward smile slowly appeared on his face as he scratched the back of his head.

“Sorry…”

Emily let out a quiet sigh before shaking her head with obvious disappointment. It wasn’t because of what he had said, nor because she believed he truly wanted a harem. She was simply disappointed that she had heard it from someone else instead of from her own husband.

“We need to talk later, darling.”

Allen’s shoulders immediately slumped as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.

“That’s it… My life is over. I can already see the couch waiting for me.”

Young Aether gave an embarrassed laugh before raising both hands in surrender.

“Sister, I really was just joking… well… mostly.”

Emily couldn’t help chuckling.

“I know. Besides, if he actually tried something like that, he wouldn’t survive the week.”

Allen instinctively swallowed, wisely deciding not to contribute anything further to the conversation.

Emily’s attention soon returned to Young Aether. She studied him more carefully, her curious gaze lingering on the visor covering his face and the youthful appearance that didn’t quite match the age Allen had described.

“So, why are you hiding your face? And… unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, don’t you look much younger than you should?”

Young Aether instinctively touched the edge of his visor before giving a helpless smile.

“Well… it’s not that I wanted to hide my face.”

His voice grew quieter as guilt slowly surfaced within him.

The truth was that he genuinely didn’t want to create trouble for Allen’s family. Simply standing here already made him feel uncomfortable after everything involving Maiuri and Sasha.

Nothing had actually happened between them.

Even so, they had held him.

Touched him.

Used him for their own reasons.

Whether it had been intentional or not, the memory continued to weigh heavily on his conscience.

It simply felt wrong.

No matter how many excuses he tried to make for himself, it was still wrong.

So, it was better to keep this one safe from him.

After all, this was the only reasonable way to protect her from his devastatingly handsome, unbelievably sexy, utterly unfair face.

“Then what?” Allen asked, unable to hide his curiosity. The sudden visor had been bothering him from the moment Emily arrived. Knowing Young Aether, there had to be some ridiculous explanation behind it… or perhaps something surprisingly serious.

Young Aether let out a long, weary sigh before answering.

“Let’s just say… my face has the ability to seduce older women.”

There.

He finally said it.

No more hiding.

No more secrets.

He had bravely confessed the burden he carried and, in doing so, saved humanity from falling victim to his overwhelming beauty.

What a sinful man he truly was~

Unfortunately…

“Hahahahaha!! Mom, did you hear that?” Lily burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “Oh my God… what is wrong with this guy? Has his entire brain come loose? I seriously can’t believe Dad was ever friends with him!”

Even Emily couldn’t hold back.

“Pfft… Come on, Mr. Aether…” She covered her mouth, trying to compose herself, but another laugh escaped anyway.

“I’m sorry… I really am… but that’s just too ridiculous.”

Who could possibly believe something like that?

Having a face capable of seducing women simply by looking at them, especially older women, sounded less like reality and more like the plot of a terrible fantasy novel.

Maybe he had simply lost his mind.

Allen was about to laugh as well.

Then he noticed something that immediately erased the smile from his face.

Young Aether never reacted.

He didn’t defend himself.

He didn’t laugh along.

He simply stood there in complete silence, his expression hidden behind the visor.

That unsettling calm made Allen’s instincts flare.

“Emily.”

“Hm?”

“Go inside.”

Emily blinked in confusion before letting out another small laugh.

“You’re not actually believing him, are you? Come on, Allen. He’s obviously teasing us.”

Allen’s expression remained completely serious.

“Go inside. Now.”

The sudden firmness in his voice caused Emily’s smile to disappear. Although she still looked unconvinced, she decided not to argue. With one last curious glance toward Young Aether, she turned around and headed into the house.

Their son quickly followed behind her, stealing a few cautious glances at Young Aether along the way.

Young Aether simply raised a hand and gave the boy a friendly wave.

The child immediately stiffened before hurrying inside and closing the door behind him.

Young Aether chuckled to himself.

So cute~

Allen waited until the door closed before turning back toward his friend.

“Does it only work on older women… or…”

His finger slowly shifted toward Lily.

Young Aether shrugged helplessly.

“I honestly don’t know. She didn’t seem affected, so maybe she just isn’t attracted to it.”

Allen’s lips twitched.

He… Didn’t know?

What the hell kind of answer was that?

That was his daughter!

Not knowing meant there was still a chance it could work.

“Lily.”

“Yes?”

“Go to your room.”

“But Dad, he’s obviously joking.” She folded her arms with a small pout before glancing toward Young Aether again.

“I mean… he does have a really handsome face. Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone who looks quite like him, and his build is pretty and hot—”

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Allen’s icy glare landed squarely on her.

Only then did Lily realize she had unconsciously started analyzing Young Aether’s appearance in far more detail than she intended.

“A-Ahem…”

Her cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment.

Without saying another word, she spun around and hurried upstairs as quickly as possible, leaving behind an awkward silence that somehow made Allen even more suspicious than before.

Leaving only Allen and Young Aether behind.

Allen quietly walked over before stopping right in front of him. Without saying a word, he placed both hands firmly on Young Aether’s shoulders.

Young Aether braced himself, expecting an angry lecture or perhaps a punch to the shoulder.

Instead…

“Bro! That’s so fucking cool!!!”

Allen practically screamed. Well… not actually screamed. His mouth opened dramatically while his voice remained low enough that the others inside the house wouldn’t hear him.

He immediately pulled Young Aether closer, his eyes shining with curiosity like flickering light bulbs.

“Can you show it to me? I know a few… MI… ahem… older ladies around the apartment.”

Young Aether stared at him with a completely deadpan expression.

Then he took a deep breath and shouted toward the hallway.

“Sister Emily! Allen just told me he knows a lot of ladies around this apartment and wants me to use my ability on them!”

“…”

The world seemed to freeze.

Allen slowly turned toward Young Aether with a look of utter betrayal, his jaw hanging open as though his very soul had abandoned him.

“You… you bastard…”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the bedroom door burst open with enough force to shake the walls.

Emily stormed out.

Without uttering a single word, she grabbed Allen by the ear and dragged him straight back toward the room.

“For what?” Young Aether wondered aloud before immediately answering himself with a grin.

“A private conversation?”

“BBBBBRRRROOOOOOO!!!”

Allen desperately reached one hand toward Young Aether as if begging for rescue while helplessly being dragged away.

Young Aether simply stood there with an amused smile.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

Not satisfied yet, Young Aether cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted one final sentence.

“Oh! He also said my ability is really cool!”

“BOOM!”

Something heavy crashed inside the room.

A second later, Allen’s miserable scream echoed through the house.

Young Aether couldn’t hold it in anymore. He chuckled, shaking his head as he imagined exactly what kind of fate his unfortunate friend was currently suffering.

“Oh my God… he’s such an idiot.”

His laughter gradually faded as his gaze wandered around the house.

The layout reminded him a lot of Jonathan’s home. Although the room sizes and positions were slightly different, both houses shared a similar atmosphere.

Here there were four bedrooms in total, with two downstairs and two upstairs.

What caught his attention most, however, wasn’t the structure.

It was the unmistakable evidence that children had grown up here.

Colorful toys were scattered across the living room floor, tiny shoes rested carelessly near the entrance, neatly folded clothes competed for space with unfolded ones, and a damp towel had been casually abandoned across the couch as if someone had intended to put it away but simply forgot.

The house wasn’t spotless.

It was lived in~

Young Aether’s expression softened as a nostalgic smile slowly appeared beneath his visor.

“At least… he found a happy family.”

His voice carried a quiet warmth that hadn’t been there moments earlier.

^Sorry to interrupt your daydreaming… but I found something interesting.^

Young Aether’s expression immediately became serious.

“What is it?”

^My sensors detected numerous electromagnetic signatures triggering repeated alerts. Based on my calculations… this entire house has been equipped with cameras. Not just one or two. There are quite a lot of them, so you should be careful about what you say and do.^

The warmth disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a calm, icy focus.

Without moving his head too much, he quietly swept his gaze across the living room. Tiny openings were hidden near the ceiling corners, inside decorative shelves, and along the walls.

‘Maybe it’s for child protection? Since Allen has children, it makes sense to keep an eye on them in case something happens.’

He didn’t think too much, just shrugged it off.